Benefits of Mediation

Moreover, mediation generally produces or promotes:

• Greater Degree of Party Control. Parties who negotiate their own settlements have more control over the outcome of their dispute. Parties have an equal say in the process. There is no determination of fault, but rather, the parties reach a mutually agreeable resolution to their conflict.
• Preservation of Relationships. Many disputes occur in the context of ongoing work relationships. Mediated settlements that address all parties’ interests often preserve working relationships in ways that would not be possible in a win/lose decision-making procedure. Mediation can also make the termination of a work relationship more amicable.
• Mutually Satisfactory Results. Parties are generally more satisfied with solutions that they have had a hand in creating, as opposed to solutions that are imposed by a third-party decision-maker.
• Comprehensive and Customized Agreements. Mediated agreements often help resolve procedural and interpersonal issues that are not necessarily susceptible to legal determination. The parties can tailor their settlement to their particular situation and attend to the fine details of implementation.
• A Foundation for Future Problem-Solving. After a mediation resolution, if a subsequent dispute occurs, parties are more likely to utilize a cooperative forum of problem-solving to resolve their differences than to pursue an adversarial approach.